CN113056077A

CN113056077A - X-ray generator

Info

Publication number: CN113056077A
Application number: CN202011488198.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 申承勋
Original assignee: Vatech Co Ltd; Vatech Ewoo Holdings Co Ltd
Current assignee: Vatech Co Ltd; Vatech Ewoo Holdings Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-27
Filing date: 2020-12-16
Publication date: 2021-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-16
Also published as: US20210204386A1; EP3843509A1; EP3843509B1; US11224114B2; CN113056077B

Abstract

Disclosed is an X-ray generator having a light and compact body and capable of improving radiographic efficiency by reducing the waiting time for X-ray generation. The X-ray generator includes: a booster for boosting a first direct-current voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second direct-current voltage having a magnitude larger than the first direct-current voltage; at least one capacitor for receiving the second direct current voltage and generating a charging voltage based on the second direct current voltage; a converter for converting the charging voltage into a driving voltage; an X-ray source for receiving a driving voltage and emitting X-rays according to the driving voltage; and a controller for controlling the booster, the converter and the X-ray source. The controller calculates a cooling time required for cooling the X-ray source to or below a predetermined temperature, determines a magnitude of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time, and applies the second DC voltage to the capacitor for the cooling time.

Description

X-ray generator

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to the submission of korean patent application nos. 10-2019-.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an X-ray generator.

Background

In recent years, with the development of semiconductor technology and information processing technology, radiography is rapidly being replaced by Digital Radiography (DR) using a digital sensor. However, radiographic techniques are also continually being studied and developed for specific applications.

One example is intraoral radiography, which is used primarily in dental clinics.

Intraoral radiography is an X-ray imaging technique for obtaining X-ray images of a limited area of a subject's mouth. An X-ray sensor is placed in the oral cavity of a subject, and X-rays are emitted from an X-ray generator disposed outside the oral cavity, thereby obtaining X-ray images of the teeth and surrounding tissues. The intraoral X-ray image has advantages of low distortion, high resolution, high definition and relatively low radiation exposure, and thus, the X-ray image is mainly used for an implant surgery or a root canal treatment requiring a high resolution image.

An X-ray photographing apparatus for intra-oral radiography is called a portable X-ray generator, and in most cases, an X-ray image is usually taken by an X-ray photographing apparatus held by an operator. In order to increase the convenience and accuracy of intraoral radiography and improve the utilization of the X-ray generator, intraoral radiography requires a reduction in the weight and size of the X-ray generator.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray generator having a light and compact body and having improved efficiency due to reduced waiting time for X-ray generation.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, there is provided an X-ray generator including: a booster configured to boost a first direct-current voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second direct-current voltage higher than the first direct-current voltage; at least one capacitor configured to receive a second direct current voltage and generate a charging voltage from the second direct current voltage; a converter configured to convert the charging voltage into a driving voltage; an X-ray source configured to receive a driving voltage and emit X-rays; and a controller configured to control the booster, the converter, and the X-ray source. The magnitude of the second dc voltage is variable. The controller calculates a cooling time required to cool the X-ray source to or below a predetermined temperature, determines a magnitude of the second direct current voltage according to the cooling time, and applies the second direct current voltage to the capacitor during a cooling operation performed for the cooling time.

The booster may include: an input terminal comprising an inductor connected to a voltage source; an output terminal including a diode connected to a capacitor; and a switching element that is opened and closed so that the input terminal and the output terminal are connected to or disconnected from each other. The controller may control a switching period of the switching element to control a magnitude of the second direct current voltage.

The booster circuit may include: an input capacitor connected in parallel between the voltage source and the inductor; and an output capacitor connected in parallel between the diode and the capacitor.

The controller may stop applying the driving voltage to the X-ray source during a cooling operation performed for the cooling time.

The X-ray generator may further include a user input unit that receives X-ray imaging information including an X-ray imaging mode and imaging conditions from a user, and the controller may calculate the cooling time based on the X-ray imaging information.

The X-ray generator can also include a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the X-ray source, and the controller can calculate the cooling time based on the temperature of the X-ray source.

An effect of the present invention is to provide an efficient X-ray generator having a light and compact body for convenient use and capable of improving imaging efficiency by minimizing a waiting time for X-ray generation.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the general structure of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a power supply unit of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a booster of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a controller of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating a method of driving an X-ray generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The above objects, features and advantages will be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described below.

In the following description, specific structural or functional descriptions of exemplary embodiments according to the inventive concept are provided for illustration purposes only. Embodiments according to the inventive concept may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the specification of the present application.

Embodiments according to the inventive concept may be subject to various modifications to have various forms, and only some specific embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail in the present disclosure, which are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as being limited to the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should be construed as including not only the specific embodiments but also all the modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the concept and technical spirit of the present invention.

It will be understood that when any element is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another element, it can be directly connected or directly coupled to the other element or be indirectly connected or indirectly coupled to the other element with the other element intervening. In contrast, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another element, there are no intervening elements present therebetween. Other expressions used to describe the relationship between constituent elements such as "between" and "directly between …" or "adjacent" and "directly adjacent" should be interpreted in the same manner. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes" or "including," when used in this disclosure, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Further, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present invention and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Mode for the invention hereinafter, modes of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the general structure of an X-ray generator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, an X-ray generator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a main body 10 in which a power supply unit, a controller, a converter, an X-ray source, and the like, which will be described later, are installed; a handle 12 provided at one side of the main body 10 to allow a user to hold the X-ray generator for use; a transmission switch 14 provided at one side of the main body 10, preferably near the handle 12, for a user to operate to transmit X-rays; an emission port 20 disposed at one side of the body 10 and configured to emit X-rays; a shield 22 disposed along the periphery of the emission port 20 to minimize exposure of a user of the X-ray generator to X-rays emitted from the X-ray generator; an instrument panel 32 disposed at one side of the main body 10, configured to display operation-related messages and various types of X-ray imaging information, including an imaging mode and imaging conditions; a user input unit 34, such as a button or dial for user operation; and a power connector 36 provided at one side of the handle 12, which is connected to an external power source to receive the external power source as a voltage source or a battery charging power source.

Accordingly, the user holds the handle 12 and lifts the main body 10 to set an appropriate imaging mode and imaging conditions using the instrument panel 32 and the user input unit 34, aligns the emission port 20 of the main body 10 with the X-ray application target position, and manipulates the emission switch 14 to emit X-rays to the X-ray application target position through the emission port 20. The shield 22 prevents back-scattering of X-rays to minimize user exposure to X-rays. The power connector 36 is connected to an external power source through an adapter or the like to receive the external power source as a voltage source or a battery charging power source.

Fig. 1 is only an example of the X-ray generator according to the present invention, and the shape or structure of the X-ray generator may be changed.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure of an X-ray generator according to the present invention, and shows only a part necessary for describing the present invention.

As shown, the X-ray generator according to the present invention includes a power supply unit 100, a controller 200, a power converter 300, and an X-ray source 400.

The power supply unit 100 includes a voltage source 102, a switch 104, a voltage booster 106, and a capacitor 108.

The voltage source 102 may be a battery. Specifically, it may be a commercial main battery or a commercial auxiliary battery. The battery may be one battery or two or more batteries. When the battery is the main battery and is depleted, the main battery will be replaced with a new battery. When the battery is an auxiliary battery and is depleted, the battery will be charged to again serve as a voltage source. In the case of a battery that is a commercial main battery, the only configuration that needs to be replaced or changed in the X-ray generator according to the present invention is the battery. As will be described later, the requirement of the voltage source in the X-ray generator according to the present invention is a voltage source capable of supplying a low voltage (e.g., 2.5V to 4.2V). The present invention uses a commercial main battery or a commercial auxiliary battery as a voltage source, thereby minimizing the size of an X-ray generator and minimizing the charging time of the battery.

For reference, the voltage source 102 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention may be an external power source instead of a battery. When the voltage source 102 is an auxiliary battery, the auxiliary battery may be charged using an external power source.

The switch 104 controls electrical connection and disconnection between the voltage source 102 and the booster 106, thereby blocking or allowing the first direct-current voltage supplied from the voltage source 102 to the booster 106.

The switch 104 is turned on and off according to an on/off control signal received from the controller 200.

The switch 104 receives an "ON" control signal from the controller 200 and electrically connects the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 to each other. When the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 are connected through the switch 104, the first direct-current voltage output from the voltage source 102 is boosted to the second direct-current voltage by the booster 106, and the capacitor 108 is charged with the auxiliary direct-current voltage. When the switch 104 receives an "OFF control signal from the controller 200, it electrically disconnects the voltage source 102 and the voltage booster 106. When the switch 14 is closed so that the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 are disconnected from each other, the voltage supply from the voltage source 102 is cut off, and the charging of the capacitor 108 is stopped.

Although the description and illustrations in the present disclosure show the switch 104 interposed between the voltage source 102 and the booster 106, the switch 104 may be located between the booster 106 and the capacitor 108.

The booster 106 is connected to the voltage source 102 through the switch 104, and the driving of the booster 106 is controlled according to the on/off state of the switch 104. The booster 106 converts the first direct-current voltage output from the voltage source 102 into a second direct-current voltage for charging the capacitor 108. For example, the booster 106 receives a low voltage in the range of 2.5V to 4.2V as a first direct-current voltage from the voltage source 102, boosts the first direct-current voltage to a high voltage in the range of 24V to 30V (0.15A) as a second direct-current voltage suitable for charging the capacitor 108. To this end, the booster 106 includes a DC/DC boost converter circuit.

Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a power supply unit of an X-ray generator according to the present invention in a case where the power supply unit 100 includes a voltage source 102 and a capacitor 108 composed of a plurality of series capacitive elements, and the booster 106 receives a first direct-current voltage (in a range of 2.5V to 4.2V), which is an output voltage of the voltage source 102, and converts the first direct-current voltage into a second direct-current voltage (in a range of 24V to 30V), which is a voltage suitable for charging the capacitor 108.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the booster 106 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention. The booster 106 includes: an input terminal 106a comprising an inductor in series with the voltage source 102; an output terminal 106b including a diode D in series with a capacitor 108; and a switching element SW for controlling electrical connection and disconnection between the input terminal 106a and the output terminal 106 b. The input capacitor Cin is connected In parallel between the voltage source 102 and the inductor In, and the output capacitor Cout is connected In parallel between the diode D and the capacitor 108.

When the switching element SW is opened, a current is supplied to the inductor In. In contrast, when the switching element SW is turned off, a current is discharged from the inductor In, and a second direct-current voltage higher than the first direct-current voltage is transmitted to the capacitor 108. The magnitude of the second direct current voltage varies depending on the switching period of the switching element SW, and the controller 200 to be described later controls the switching period of the switching element SW to adjust the magnitude of the second direct current voltage.

Referring to FIG. 2, capacitor 108 is charged by the auxiliary DC voltage provided by booster 106. The capacitor 108 supplies a charging voltage to the converter 300 for X-ray emission. The capacitor 108 is composed of at least two capacitor elements connected in series. For example, if the power is 65kV and 3mA, it takes 1 second to drive the X-ray source 400, and the capacitor 108 is composed of 2 to 4 capacitor elements having a capacitance of 25F to 30F. Assuming that the capacitor element is about the size

The size of the capacitor 108 is about 25X 50X 20 mm.

In the case of a comparative example in which only the first direct-current voltage output from the battery is used, the life and durability of the battery are reduced because a high voltage needs to be instantaneously applied to the X-ray source 400. In the case of another comparative example, in which only the direct-current voltage of a specially designed high-power battery is used, there is a problem in that the cost of the X-ray generator increases. In the case of another comparative example in which only the direct-current voltage of the large-capacity capacitor is used, the size of the power supply unit increases because the energy density of the capacitor is low. Therefore, it is inconvenient to use the X-ray generator. In the case of another comparative example in which only the direct-current voltage of a low-capacitance capacitor is used, there is a problem in that it is inconvenient to use the X-ray generator due to the trouble of charging the battery of the X-ray generator each time the radiographic operation is performed.

However, in the present invention, the power supply unit 100 is composed of a voltage source 102 implemented with a high energy density battery and a capacitor 108 implemented by a plurality of capacitor elements connected in series to output a high voltage. Due to the reduced size of the power supply unit, the X-ray generator is correspondingly lightweight and compact, thereby improving the imaging efficiency and convenience of the X-ray generator.

The controller 200 controls the overall operation of the X-ray generator device according to the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1, when a user inputs X-ray imaging information such as an imaging mode and imaging conditions through the instrument panel 32 and the user input unit 34, the controller 200 controls the converter 300 to adjust the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the X-ray source 400. When a user inputs an X-ray emission command through the emission switch 14, the controller 200 controls the converter 300 to supply a driving voltage to the X-ray source 400, thereby emitting X-rays. When the X-ray imaging is completed, the controller 200 controls the converter 300 not to supply the driving voltage to the X-ray source 400, thereby stopping the X-ray emission. However, during a cooling operation performed for a cooling time (the cooling time is a predetermined period of time after performing X-ray emission), even if a user inputs an X-ray emission command through the emission switch 14, the controller 200 controls the converter 300 not to supply a driving voltage to the X-ray source 400 so that the X-ray source 400 can be cooled to a preset temperature or below.

Specifically, the controller 200 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention calculates the cooling time based on the temperature of the X-ray source 400 or based on the X-ray imaging information after the X-ray imaging information is input through the user input unit 34 or after the X-ray source performs X-ray emission. Further, the controller controls the driving time of the booster 106 and the magnitude of the second direct current voltage so that the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage within the calculated cooling time. Further, when the temperature of the X-ray source 400 decreases to a predetermined temperature or less after the charging of the capacitor 108 is completed, the controller 200 displays an X-ray emission ready message on the instrument panel 32, which notifies that X-ray imaging is ready.

In addition, the controller 200 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention monitors the states of the power supply unit 102 and the X-ray source 400, and provides a suitable notification message to the user through the instrument panel 32 based on the monitoring result, and the controller 200 measures the remaining voltage of the battery and displays battery replacement request information on the instrument panel 32 to request replacement of the battery when the remaining voltage of the battery is equal to or less than a preset level. Further, the controller 200 checks whether the capacitor 108 is overcharged or short-circuited, and displays a capacitor abnormality notification message on the instrument panel 32 when the overcharge or short-circuit is detected. In addition, the controller measures the real-time temperature of the X-ray source 400 and displays the real-time temperature on the dashboard 32.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of a controller of an X-ray generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 5, the controller 200 includes: a logic operation circuit 210 equipped with a series of control algorithms for radiography; a memory 240 for storing X-ray imaging information for calculating a cooling time or cooling time information for each temperature of the X-ray source 400; a power supply unit 100; a power management module 230 for monitoring the voltage source 102 and the capacitor 108; a temperature sensor 250 for measuring a temperature of the X-ray source 400; and a timer 260 for calculating the time of the cooling time.

The operation of the controller 200 will be described in detail below.

Referring to fig. 2, the converter 300 boosts the charging voltage supplied from the capacitor 108 to a driving voltage (e.g., 65KV, 3mA) for driving the X-ray source 400 and supplies the driving voltage to the X-ray source 400.

The converter 300 includes an inverter 302, a main booster 304, and a sub booster 306. For example, the main booster 304 includes a transformer, and the sub booster 304 includes a cowov (Cockcroft-Walton) generator. The Cockcroft-Walton generator consists of an n-fold voltage rectifying circuit or a Cockcroft multiplier and rectifying circuit.

Converter 300 is controlled by on/off control signals sent from controller 200 to inverter 302. When an "ON" (ON) control signal is transmitted from the controller 200 to the inverter 302, the converter 300 converts the charging voltage supplied from the capacitor 108 of the power supply unit 100 into a driving voltage and supplies the driving voltage to the X-ray source 400, so that the X-ray source 400 emits X-rays according to the driving voltage.

After emitting X-rays according to the X-ray imaging information, the controller 200 cuts OFF the driving voltage supplied to the X-ray source by sending an "OFF" control signal to the inverter 302, thereby stopping the X-ray emission of the X-ray source.

The X-ray source 400 receives a driving voltage from the converter 300, generates X-rays, and emits the X-rays to a subject. The X-ray source 400 is a field emission X-ray source comprising a cathode electrode with an emitter, an anode electrode with an X-ray target surface, and a gate electrode controlling the field emission of the emitter.

Fig. 6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating a method of driving an X-ray generator according to the present invention. The driving method of the X-ray generator and the specific operation of the controller will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5 and fig. 6 to 7. The present disclosure provides two embodiments of a driving method of an X-ray generator according to the present invention. The common operation between the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described in the section labeled as the first embodiment, and only the difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described in the section labeled as the "second embodiment" below.

[ first embodiment ]

In order to drive the X-ray generator according to the present invention, the controller 200 controls the power management module 230 to check whether the charged voltage of the capacitor 108 is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage value (ST 10).

When the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is higher than or equal to the predetermined voltage value, the controller 200 turns off the switch 104 of the power supply unit 100 to block the second direct current voltage so that the second direct current voltage cannot be transferred to the capacitor 108, thereby preventing the overcharge of the capacitor 108 (ST 15). In contrast, when the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is lower than the predetermined voltage value, the controller 200 opens the switch 104 of the power supply unit 100 so that the second direct current voltage can be transferred to the capacitor 108, thereby charging the capacitor 108 with the second direct current voltage (ST 22). The magnitude of the second direct current voltage is preset.

The controller 200 checks the temperature of the X-ray source 400 using the temperature sensor 250 (ST 20).

When the temperature of the X-ray source 400 is higher than a predetermined temperature, the controller 200 maintains a cooling operation by which the transmission of the driving voltage from the converter 300 to the X-ray source 400 is prevented even if the user inputs an X-ray emission command through the emission switch 14 (ST 25). On the other hand, when the temperature of the X-ray source 400 is lower than the predetermined temperature, the controller 200 displays an X-ray emission preparation ready message on the instrument panel 32 and waits for an X-ray emission command of the user (ST 30).

Subsequently, when the user inputs X-ray imaging information such as an imaging mode and imaging conditions through the user input unit 34 and inputs an X-ray emission command by pressing the X-ray emission switch 14, the controller 200 adjusts the driving voltage of the converter 300 and transmits the adjusted driving voltage to the X-ray source 400, thereby performing an X-ray imaging operation according to the X-ray imaging information and the X-ray source 400 emits X-rays (ST35, ST 40). When the X-ray emission command is not input, the controller 200 waits for the X-ray emission command input through the X-ray emission switch 14 (ST 30).

In addition, when the X-ray imaging information is input through the user input unit 34, the controller 200 calculates the estimated cooling time based on the cooling time information stored in the memory 240. The cooling time information is configured in the form of a table in which each piece of X-ray imaging information is associated with a specific cooling time (ST 50).

For reference, the first embodiment is different from the second embodiment described below in that the charging time of the capacitor 108 is maximized, and for this purpose, the controller 200 calculates an estimated cooling time based on the X-ray imaging information input through the user input unit 34. Accordingly, the controller 200 calculates the estimated cooling time after inputting the X-ray imaging information through the user input unit 34. That is, the calculation of the estimated cooling time is performed before the X-ray source 400 performs X-ray emission or when the X-ray source 400 performs emission of X-rays.

Next, the controller 200 determines the magnitude of the second direct current voltage for completing the charging of the capacitor 108 within the calculated cooling time (ST 55). The cooling time and the magnitude of the second direct current voltage have an inverse linear relationship. Therefore, a predetermined function for calculating the magnitude of the second direct current voltage according to the cooling time is stored in the memory 240, or second direct current voltage information in the form of a table respectively matching the second direct current voltage and the cooling time is stored in the memory 240.

Next, the controller 200 controls the booster 106 to boost the first direct-current voltage to the second direct-current voltage having the magnitude determined in step ST 55. For this reason, the controller 200 adjusts the switching period of the switching element SW of the booster 106. The opening time and the magnitude of the second direct current voltage have a direct proportion relation.

On the other hand, when the X-ray emission is completed according to the desired X-ray imaging information, the controller 200 blocks the driving voltage transmitted from the converter 300 to the X-ray source 400, thereby stopping the X-ray emission (ST 60).

Next, the controller 200 maintains the cooling operation for the cooling time. During the cooling operation, even if the user inputs an X-ray emission command through the emission switch 14, the driving voltage output from the converter 300 is blocked from being input to the X-ray source 400, in which case the controller 200 displays a message informing that the cooling operation is performed on the instrument panel 32. Preferably, the remaining cooling time may be displayed together with a message on the instrument panel 32 (ST 25).

Next, when the cooling time is over, the controller 200 performs step ST10 and subsequent steps again.

In the present embodiment, the controller 200 determines the cooling time and the magnitude of the second direct current voltage for each imaging condition included in the X-ray imaging information while the X-rays are emitted, and controls the second booster 106 to output the second direct current voltage having the determined magnitude, by which operation the maximum charging time of the capacitor 108 can be secured, which minimizes the waiting time for X-ray generation. The waiting time is due to insufficient charging voltage of the capacitor 108 after the cooling time is over.

[ second embodiment ]

The method of driving the X-ray generator according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as the method of the first embodiment in terms of the operations of steps ST10 through ST 40. However, the driving method of the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that the controller 200 measures the real-time temperature of the X-ray source 400 using the temperature sensor 250 after the completion of the X-ray emission (ST60), instead of calculating the cooling time of each imaging condition included in the X-ray imaging information at the start of the X-ray emission of step ST 40.

Next, a cooling time for each temperature of the X-ray source 400 is calculated based on the real-time temperature of the X-ray source 400. For this, each temperature cooling time information as a table respectively matching the temperature and the cooling time of the X-ray source 400 is stored in the memory 240.

Next, the controller 200 determines the magnitude of the second direct current voltage for charging the capacitor 108 to the predetermined voltage value or more during the calculated cooling time (ST55), and adjusts the switching cycle of the switching element SW of the booster 106 so that the booster 106 outputs the second direct current voltage having the magnitude determined in step ST55 (ST 60).

The second embodiment has an advantage in that the cooling time can be determined according to the real-time temperature of the X-ray source 400, as compared with the first embodiment, but has a disadvantage in that the charging time of the capacitor 108 is slightly shortened because the calculation of the cooling time is performed after the completion of the X-ray emission.

Therefore, it is preferable that the controller 200 controls the booster 106 to output the second direct current voltage having a predetermined magnitude while performing the X-ray emission, and, after step ST55, the controller 200 adjusts the second direct current voltage to have the magnitude determined in step ST 55.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary modes, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary modes, and modifications may be made thereto.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the preferred embodiments, but should be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Description of reference numerals

100: power supply unit

200: controller

300: power converter

400: x-ray source

Claims

1. An X-ray generator comprising:

a booster configured to boost a first direct-current voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second direct-current voltage having a magnitude larger than the first direct-current voltage;

at least one capacitor configured to receive the second direct current voltage and generate a charging voltage;

a converter configured to convert the charging voltage into a driving voltage;

an X-ray source configured to receive the driving voltage and emit X-rays; and

a controller configured to control the booster, the converter, and the X-ray source,

wherein the second direct current voltage is variable, and

the controller calculates a cooling time required for cooling the X-ray source below a predetermined temperature after the X-ray source emits X-rays, determines the magnitude of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time, and applies the second DC voltage to the capacitor for the cooling time.

2. The X-ray generator of claim 1, wherein the voltage booster comprises:

an input terminal comprising an inductor connected to the voltage source;

an output terminal including a diode connected to the capacitor; and

a switching element configured to be turned on and off such that the input terminal and the output terminal are connected to or disconnected from each other, and

wherein the controller adjusts the second direct current voltage by adjusting a switching period of the switching element.

3. The X-ray generator of claim 2, wherein the booster further comprises:

an input capacitor connected in parallel between the voltage source and the inductor; and

an output capacitor connected in parallel between the diode and the capacitor.

4. The X-ray generator of claim 1, wherein the controller blocks the drive voltage from being applied to the X-ray source for the cooling time.

5. The X-ray generator of claim 1, further comprising: a user input unit configured to receive X-ray imaging information including an X-ray imaging mode and imaging conditions from a user,

wherein, after the X-ray imaging information is input, the controller calculates the cooling time based on the X-ray imaging information.

6. The X-ray generator of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the X-ray source,

wherein the controller calculates the cooling time based on a temperature of the X-ray source after the X-ray source emits X-rays.